Feeding The Horses

August 14th, 2009.  Let me tell you about Jack.  We went to my moms new home where she lives with her dear friend Jack.  He is such a breath of fresh air.  He has no children or grandchildren of his own, and is just delighted to spend time with all of our kids.  He takes the occasional break in the back room, but that's expected from a man who is rarely in the presence of small children.

Jack was raised Southern Baptist, and I do believe he loves college football.  He loves horses.  He wakes up every morning at 5 am to feed them.  He is so accustomed to it that there is no need for an alarm clock.  He makes quite possibly the best ribs EVER.  I love how he changes his sneakers to boots with his shorts when its time to get dirty.  No Wranglers Needed Here.

He is a Generous, Whole-Hearted, God Fearing, Loving, Gracious, Kind, Patient, Manly, Man.

I like him.  Who wouldn't.  And,  well, he puts up with my mom so that's got to count for something.

Alex  and Ethan helping Jack get the food ready for the horses.

Walking the food to the horses with Jack.

I Know, I'm Delinquent.

So, still have not purchased a new keyboard. Yes, I know they carry inexpensive get-the-job-done keyboards at any home office store; but I think I am not-so-secretly hoping for a new MACBOOK!  Not gonna happen but a girl can dream.

Anyway.  That is why I have been putting off the many blog ideas in my head...and home preschool has started (naturally since summer is over).   

Well...this was just a quick note to let you all, well let's face it- my two (used to be three but Mrs.Mandy deleted her blog! WHY?)public followers: Sarah and, Zen cupcakes know that there are many blog posts a comin'. Ok then.

A picture just because.

I <3 Tummies

SHIFT CUPCAKES

 

I made 130 cupcakes with these stars on them for our young adults church group.  It was for the sixth birthday of the group.  I also made about 50 cookies in the shape of stars and with teal royal icing.  I have to admit though, I ran out of decorating time and had a few cupcakes and cookies left over at home.

Everyone loved them.  That made me happy! I love baking and when people love what I bake it makes it even more rewarding. :)

Here are few photos of what was left by time I got the camera out.

Sorry this is totally upside down. When I rotated it on live writer the letters were mirrored.  Weird.

Thanks guys for posing with my cupcakes. LOL.  Mandy of course YOU, would hold it upside down you space cadet! :)

Happy Birthday 2nd Birthday Isabella!

Well, this will be a short post as will the ones following it. Why?  Well, for some odd reason my spacebar, number four, and number six keys are not working on my lap top. SO I am using the on screen keyboard to hit space between every word.  ANNOYING! I am a pretty speedy typist so you could see my frustration with how this might slow me down.

OK, now that my explanation is out of the way, Here is Isabella's Birthday cake and cupcakes.  I know, I am like a week late posting this. 

The Cupcakes were butter chocolate cake with pink butter cream.  The cake was four layers: two strawberry vanilla, and two blueberry vanilla. I used butter cream for this as well.  Everyone Enjoyed it.  No party this year, just mommy, daddy brothers, and Grandma and Apa dropped over.

Sugar Cookies.

Yesterday Hubby's mom made dinner, so I made some dessert. I made chocolate covered strawberries and sugar cookies. I used Royal icing to decorate the cookies. These were fun and satisfying to make. I love the way royal icing sets to a matte finish.

These petit little cookies were the perfect treat for the family, especially the kids. They were quick. I base quickness on my ability to finish them, take a shower, eat and ENJOY dinner, AND, still get the kids ready, and to Friday night church on time. AMEN!

Homemade Yeast Free Pizza

Hey everyone. We have had a busy week around here. The weather hasn't been so bad either. Still HOT, but with a breeze.

On Wednesday, before bible study I made homemade pizzas while the kids napped. With the dough I made I ended coming out with 14 individual size pizzas. But by time pictures were taken, 2 were left. They were that good. They were so easy to make, and you can really use whatever is in the fridge.

I didn't make my own sauce due to lack of time, so I just used some Hunts Spaghetti sauce, and that worked just fine. I used hot links and sliced those. Spinach and cheese on this one.

For this one, I used spinach, zucchini, cherry tomatoes from our garden, yellow bell pepper, and cheese. These were my favorite. All of my favorite veggies. (I know, tomato is a fruit).

Recipe for Yeast Free Pizza Dough:

1. 2 1/2 Cups All-purpose flour

2. 2 tbs. Baking powder

3. 1 tsp. Baking soda

4. 4 Tbs. oil

5. 1 heaping Tsp. Honey

6. 1 1/3 cups Warm water

7. 1 Tsp Salt

In a bowl, mix dry ingredients. After dry ingredients are combined, add oil and honey. Then, slowly add water.

Once everything is mixed, form into 2 ball and fold over and over until smooth.

Use desired size balls to form pizzas and roll out about a 1/2 of an inch thick.

For my individual pizzas, I used balls of dough that were about the size of a golf ball...maybe a bit larger.

Add toppings and bake on a lightly oiled non stick pan for best results at 410 degrees F, for about 10 minutes, or until golden brown.

Enjoy!

Cupcakes

This past weekend I had my first cupcake and cake order in a long time. It was exciting. I made chocolate cupcakes with pink butter cream icing and my secret strawberry sugar cookie cake mini cake with vanilla butter cream.

Hubby helped me paint all of the little decorations, and we delivered everything after church on Sunday.

So the cake recipe is not so secret and if you want it you can have it. lol. Just ask for it. Would you guys like for me to post my recipes?

Well, enjoy the pictures and try not to drool and give your keyboard a shortage from water damage.

His and Hers

His and hers cereal.

My favorite, his favorite.

I like lucky charms, always have.

He likes cinnamon toast crunch, always will.

The boys agree with him.

The girl agrees with her mom.

The end.

If You Give A Mouse A Cookie...

He will want 10 more! I made about 60 cookies and I think they were gone by the third day. Goodness gracious!

These cookies were made via Bakerella's recipe for chocolate chip cookies.

They remind me of the cookies from the book. If You Give A Mouse A Cookie. Hence the title of my post.

Happy Independence Day!

Today has been an awfully relaxing day. Unusually relaxing actually. At about 6 am when our alarms went off, hubby wrapped me in his arms and kissed my forehead and whispered: "sleep in my love."

We never sleep in. It was nice. The kids slept too.

Grandpa took the boys for a walk, Isabella took a bath and ate breakfast with Daddy.

While everyone was sleeping, I made peach cobbler. OK I said that so nonchalant... I made deliciously gooey, crispy, sweet, mouth watering peach cobbler!

Here it is.

In the afternoon we barbequed and some of the family came over to see the fireworks from our house.

Hope you all had a wonderful Fourth of July!

The kids and their dirty faces, kooky smiles, and firecracker popsicles.

Technorati Tags: family,4th of july,fun,kids,peach cobbler

Kid Food...

Often times...haha, I love saying that, it does sound so "official." So anyway. Often times I hear parents complaining of their children not eating, or having a difficult time getting them to. Even my little boogers will have a couple days when they just aren't that interested in food. When this happens, I make interesting food. I make our food art.

This was this mornings breakfast for the kiddos. Simple cheesy eggs, cut up pears, and star cut tortillas grilled in a little olive oil.

They ate everything on their plate because it was fun to eat.

The morning before I made heart shaped toast with their breakfast.

It's that simple. It really is. Sometimes.

Painting, Sprinklers, and Cake.

This was my week.

Wednesday we painted. My kids LOVE painting. I love watching them paint. Alex and Ethan painted dinosaurs and dragons, and Isabella painted her hands and arms, literally.

Thursday we played outside in the heat, with the lawn sprinklers on. The kids were a little weary at first, but eventually the boys were soaked. Isabella seemed mad the entire time. As girls can sometimes seem.

At the end of the day, we made a strawberry vanilla cake. We let that cool while we got ready to go to church for my music practice, which ended up being canceled. That was nice though, because Hubby and I had a lot of things we needed to finish.

So, I frosted the cake with butter cream frosting. Then I took the kids for a walk, said hello to our friends around the corner, whose kids were in bed at 7:30 and quiet or asleep by 8; a dream of mine. She was stung by a bee, and he broke his finger playing basketball! So naturally, Ethan and I went back with some cake.

How was your week?

How Things Can Change...

I wrote this when I was working, and Alex talked me out of posting for the simple fact that, if anyone I worked with were to somehow find my blog and read it, it could stir the pot. So here it is, it was 2 measly months into my job.

I guess I was content in my simple little world, living on a budget and being with my crazy and difficult kids. it's that saying that the grass isn't always greener on the other side. don't get me wrong, I like working and bring in the dinero, but I just didn't realize that I hadn't faced the world in such a long time. Are people really that evil? How desperate is the person that can't just be happy with what they've got? they have to meddle and poke and tease like we are in the 1st grade. Less than 2 months and I feel myself in such a somber mood after coming home from work today. I already didn't feel good, so it was a the little things that got me hurt. I thought I was really tough, but I guess over the past 3 years being Susie homemaker I lost that skin, all I had left were some mom gloves and pretty words. That's fine, it'll come back, I am good at being angry when I want to be. but I don't want to be, at least not that often, it never feels good afterward like being happy does. it never hit home how judgmental people could be with just a simple look, as it has now that I am outside of my bubble. Suck it up, I know, but it is so much easier said than done on days like today. my child-like side that everyone has, says "it's not fair," and the woman in me says, "show em what you've got, and don't back down, and don't ever turn your back." I really am a genuinely happy and honest, and nice person, but nice doesn't always cut, it, and I have been through enough in my short life to know that, I choose when to be tough and when to be sensitive most the time, I guess it is just harder than I though after being away from the real people for so long. And church doesn't count either, because most people aren't the way they are in church.

Are you pickin' up what I'm puttin' down??? I used to think that being a mom was harder than being an employee...but I think I might change my perspective on that one. Being a mom, and working, and coming home after dealing with the "real world" is harder than being a SAHM will ever be. No offense to any of you reading this...don't forget that I was there for 3 years.

So, there you have it. Before I built my "skin" back up. And it happened fast, which I won't say I am proud of. It's oddly unsurprising, but annoying, how a place like where I worked can change you in an instant. NO MATTER how hard you try, it changes SOME part of you. I am slowly but surely getting back to ME. I am enjoying being at home. In fact, my hubby smiled at me at the dinner table tonight after a hard, late day at work and commented after something he had told me, "besides, I like having you home. I missed it and you have some kids to teach come September. I love you." It sounds simple, but of course the way he said it, and the way I heard it, was calming and sweet and made my heart melt.

Funny Face Friday.

Enjoy. :)

I'm a Crazy Kind of Girl...

I know, people tell me all of the time. I have been a busy girl too. I have so much to tell you all!

So where I have I been? Not only delinquent from the blogging world once again(this time not for nearly as long), but I have been loving and rejoicing with the Lord. Do you know how absolutely awesome that guy is? I'm not sure I can even begin to tell you the wonderful things he has done for me in the month that just left us. In short, he fixed my marriage, changed my husband, mended my heart, and made my babies so happy. He helped me realize what really makes me happy, and what really works for my family. So I quit my job folks....I know, my posts go from one extreme to the next. I got a little further in the process with one of the Sheriff's agencies too...but I realized my desire to be a Deputy was for the wrong reason. So that's out the door too. I know, you guys wanted to see me kick some butt, but it's not gonna happen so get it out of your heads. haha. I just really lost sight of what is important. I think it was more of an attraction to the money than anything else, which is not like me at all and if I let him, God will provide that for me whichever way he see's fit.

I feel so insane about the Lord right now and I feel like sharing that with you guys. I know it seems crazy to have quit my job when everyone else is searching for one, but Alex and I felt like God was calling me back home. He was calling back home to our big family, baking, music, crafts, and everything else that makes us happy.

Onto the next topic...I chopped off my hair. Yes,I did. We all know how much I valued that material on my head. But it was dead. Hair is dead. It will grow back. I miss it, a little. But I justified cutting it with quitting my job...a new start, haha. So now its cute and bouncy and short. Alex loves it and it was refreshing. Don't be mad at me. It will grow back.

AHHH! I love you guys and I don't think any action words could EVER explain my excitement to be back home. It was an experience. I met some awesome people and now I am at home with my babies and so happy. There's more to come...so keep checking this blog. I will not disappoint.

Love and Lords Blessings,

Rae

Getting Up To Date

Hello friends! So, after being so delinquent from the blogging world, I am back, and new to Blogspot. Wordpress just wasn't doing it for me. I hope to share all of our families moments with you, in every form that they may come. So to get you up to date, here are the happenings from 2009:
We are all healthy, praise God, excluding the minor colds.
We are all happy, and thriving, and busier than our family of 5 has EVER been before.
I started working for the Sheriff's Department over 7 months ago, and I love it.
I love it so much, that I decided to become a deputy. I have applied with two agencies.
For the first, I passed my written, physical agility, and I am currently undergoing the Background process.
For the second agency, I will have my physical agility in 2 weeks.
The boys turned 3 in February, and are learning more Spanish from their Tia who watches them all while Alex and I transition in the mornings. (I am working Graveyard shift).
My music and baking are not first in my line of careers right now, but hopefully being a deputy will help me fulfill those dreams more fully. The money for one, will give me more options for opening a bakery/cafe once this big economic mess is stabilized.
Well, I thought there was more to tell you, but I guess not.
We had a tiring Easter, I worked the whole weekend and then some. But we got some beautiful pictures. So please enjoy.